The Ballad of the Nine
by Skybright Daye
Summary: A ballad such as any MiddleEarthen minstrel might create a song of the nine bold members of the Fellowship of the Ring!
1. Part the First: Frodo, Sam and Gandalf

This one goes out to Erin, the Sam to my Frodo (and the Frodo to my Sam). Nothing but love for ya, Spyder -- if you take my meaning. Watch for Ringwraiths.

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Nine whose hearts are Brave and True 

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Shall do what they set out to do, 

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To stand and fight the Nine Who Ride, 

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To stand together side by side; 

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Nine whose hearts are True and Brave 

__

Shall speed the One Ring on its way!   


*** 

I know not what this Quest shall bring, 

Or if I'll live to bear the Ring 

Into the smoke and fire and gloom 

That lives within the Mount of Doom. 

I only know I'm glad for friends 

To help me to the Journey's end.   


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Nine whose hearts are Brave and True 

__

Shall do what they set out to do!   


*** 

Gardener was my chosen trade; 

To tend, until my end of days, 

A patch of earth, a bit of grass -- 

I pray it may yet come to pass. 

For now, I'll stand beside my friend, 

Until his Quest shall reach its end.   


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To stand and fight the Nine Who Ride, 

__

To stand together side by side!   


***   
The ways of Middle-Earth I've roamed,

The World itself my only home

A wanderer in the far-flung Ways,

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Mithrandir, the Pilgrim Gray.

And now I face my greatest task,

To see the Dark Lord fall at last!  
  


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Nine whose hearts are True and Brave 

__

Shall speed the One Ring on its way!   


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	2. Part the Second: Legolas, Gimli and Stri...

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Born within the forest's depths, 

Where once the Dark Lord's evil slept 

Son and heir of Mirkwood's king 

Clad in cloak of brown and green. 

Keen of eye and true of heart, 

With the other eight I take my part. 

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Nine whose hearts are Brave and True 

__

Shall do what they set out to do! 

*** 

No stranger place to find myself, 

Than bound by fellowship -- to an Elf! 

Yet even that can't stay my hand, 

I shall go forth to Mordor-land. 

An axe shall serve the Quest of Quests 

And to wield an axe, a Dwarf is best! 

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To stand and fight the Nine Who Ride, 

__

To stand together side by side! 

*** 

Strider with a broken sword, 

Wizard-friend and exiled Lord, 

A Rohan-rider I have been; 

And battled evil things unseen. 

Yet even in the darkest wild, 

My thoughts stray back to Elrond's child.

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Nine whose hearts are True and Brave 

__

Shall speed the One Ring on its way! 

__

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 


	3. Part the Third: Boromir, Merry and Pippi...

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Try as I might, I cannot best

The mounting darkness in my breast

Oh! How I long once more to see

Gondor's banners on the breeze.

And yet (my heart despairs again!)

I fear we face an evil end.

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Nine whose hearts are Brave and True 

__

Shall do what they set out to do! 

*** 

I laughed at all -- all was a joke, 

For Brandybucks are simple folk. 

I know not why it changed, or how, 

But life is far from simple now. 

I hope that when this journey ends, 

I shall be merry once again. 

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To stand and fight the Nine Who Ride, 

__

To stand together side by side! 

*** 

Seems years ago that, in the Shire, 

Merry and I did conspire 

To follow Frodo when he left. 

Tell me, who'd have ever guessed 

(That though unused to living rough) 

This Took was made of such stern stuff! 

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Nine whose hearts are True and Brave 

__

Shall speed the One Ring on its way! 

__

*** 

A Fellowship whose Tale will live -- 

And courage to the Reader give -- 

Long after Middle-earth is gone, 

Long after them, in rhyme and song; 

In Shire-towns and forest glens 

This shall long be sung of them: 

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Nine whose hearts are Brave and True 

__

Shall do what they set out to do, 

__

To stand and fight the Nine Who Ride, 

__

To stand together side by side; 

__

Nine whose hearts are True and Brave 

__

Shall speed the One Ring on its way! 

__

ENDE 

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A/N: I've been working on this poem -- on and off -- for eleven months. The first two lines came to me, rather suddenly, while my best friend Erin and I were waiting in line for FotR last year and the rest followed, in laborious spurts. Boromir and Gandalf were the last to show up -- and the hardest to write.

Comments as to what I did right -- and wrong -- would be very much appreciated.

--Skybright Daye


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